The DC Digest

Duke Government Relations

Duke in DC's Top News Today:

House Appropriations Committee Advances Two Funding Bills
House Passes NDAA Bill
Bayh-Dole Coalition Releases Statement on Secretary Lutnick’s Patent Profit Sharing Proposal
Education Department to End Funding for Minority Serving Institutions
Senator Ted Budd Convenes Senate Subcommittee Hearing on AI
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The Highlights 📰

Budget & Appropriations

The latest coverage on Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations that are relevant to Duke.

Duke Government Relations' primer on the federal appropriations process.

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE ADVANCES FUNDING BILLS

This week, Congress has been busy advancing several bills in the budget and appropriations process. On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Committee advanced the Labor-HHS-Education bill to the House floor on a vote of 33-28. As we covered Tuesday, the $108 billion funding bill trims $7 billion from current levels but far less than the $31.3 billion reduction sought by President Trump. The House Appropriations Committee voted Wednesday night to approve the fiscal 2026 Commerce-Justice-Science bill. Under the more than $76.8 billion measure approved in a 34-28 vote, House Republicans are proposing to cut funding for the Commerce Department by almost 3 percent, while increasing the Justice Department’s budget by about 1 percent. The House’s CJS bill provides $7 billion for NSF, a 23 percent cut from the FY25 enacted level but not as deep as the 56 percent cut proposed by President Trump in his budget request.

NDAA ADVANCES IN HOUSE

Also on Wednesday, the House passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)--which we highlighted in a previous digest--mostly along party lines with a final vote of 231-196. The bill would authorize $882.6 billion in defense spending, including $848 billion for the Department of Defense. The Senate is also expected to consider its version of the bill soon, though not all policy provisions passed in the House are expected to pass in the Senate.

NDAA Advances

Research

The latest updates on legislation and regulations that impact Duke's research enterprise.

BAYH-DOLE COALITION RELEASES STATEMENT ON SEC. LUTNIK'S PATENT PROFIT SHARING PROPOSAL

The Bayh-Dole Coalition, of which Duke is a member, responded to Secretary Howard Lutnick’s proposal for the federal government to claim a share of royalties from university inventions it helps fund, arguing such a change would harm the existing innovation system. They noted that Congress had previously considered, but ultimately rejected, similar revenue-sharing provisions when passing the Bayh-Dole Act, after agencies determined it would discourage commercialization. The Coalition emphasized that the current system already delivers strong returns for taxpayers, citing significant economic and societal impact and that altering the model could “undermine the foundation of our innovation system.”

Coalition Statement

Student Aid, Institutional Support and Taxes

The latest updates regarding legislation and regulatory actions related to student aid, higher education institutional support, taxes and more.

NASFAA Student Aid Reference Desk

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO END FUNDING FOR MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS

The Education Department announced plans to end grant funding for certain minority-serving institutions (MSIs), affecting colleges that enroll high numbers of underrepresented students. The department stated that such funding is discriminatory because it “confers government benefits exclusively to institutions that meet racial or ethnic quotas.” Approximately $350 million in MSI funding for 2025 will be redirected to programs that do not use race-based eligibility criteria.

Department Decision

Additional Federal Relations Items of Interest to Duke

SEN. BUDD CONVENES SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON AI

This week, the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness, chaired by Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), convened a hearing titled ‘AI’ve Got a Plan: America’s AI Action Plan’. The session examined President Trump’s strategy to accelerate American AI development, maintain a competitive edge over China and ensure global leadership in artificial intelligence. Lawmakers discussed fostering innovation, preventing overregulation, strengthening US AI infrastructure and securing a technological future that benefits all Americans.

Senate Hearing

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Government Relations Resources

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